Album Appreciation: "Wrong Way Up" by Brian Eno & John Cale
It must have been when I was listening to "Spinning Away" for the eight-billionth time in headphones when it occured to me that I was dealing with one of the most addicting pop albums I'd come across in a long time.
Wait, huh? Addicting pop album coming from a Velvet Underground veteran and a sad, old bald man? (It's funny because it's true. Brian Eno is bald! Tell your mother. See below:)
So, anyway, this is a pop album. A big, fun, synthesizer-drenched, dated pop album. You see, back in 1976 or so, Eno ran out of twisted pop ideas and moved on to ambient experimentation. At some point in the year of our lord 1990, it occured to him that what he thought was ambient music was really just one piano note being sustained for half an hour, designed to lull the listener into a consistent vegetative state. So, naturally, what else was there to do but hook up with John Cale (not literally, ya pervert!)?
The first two songs are pretty perfect indicators of the pleasures that lie beyond in this fantastic album. "Lay My Love" is a joyful eruption of stuttering drum machines, vague lyrics, infectious harmonies and a wonderful string part. The type of song that begs the listener to turn the volume up and immense yourself in its glory. "One Word" follows a fairly similar formula: another fantastic melody, vocal layering and another fine chorus straight from the mountain tops, my homedog. I'm consistently impressed with the way the melodies seem to transcend the cheesy, dated late 80's/early 90's production into something that sounds like honey on a dead cow.
And thus, the record continues. "Empty Frame" vaguely implies some funkiness, with the "Whoo hoo hoo!"s in all the right places. "Footsteps" brings Eno's trademark synthesizers and bizarre lyrics ("I'm a man of many colors/only yesterday I was blue/ten days from now I'll be different/and so will you") to the forefront. "Been There Done That" has this fucking awesome guitar riff that pops up at aboot 1:16 and makes my nipples harden every single time.
"Spinning Away" deserves its own paragraph, being my favorite song on the album and all. And, like much of this delightful lil record, it's rather simple on the surface. Another cheesy drum machine. Just four guitar chords, ringing out The Edge-style. A wonderfully funky bass rip to compliment it. Strings. Strings. Oh, the strings! Sublime strings. "Mmmmm!" moans Brian Eno in a suggestive voice.
Up on a hill, as the day dissolves
With my pencil turning moments into line
High above in the violet sky
A silent silver plane - it draws a golden chain
One by one, all the stars appear
As the great winds of the planet spiral in
Spinning away, like the night sky at Arles
In the million insect storm, the constellations form
Again, the simple elements of the song really become more than the sum of their parts. In fact, it's the product of their parts! The quotient of their parts! The square root of their parts! And it builds up and gets better and better. Such a good song.
However, then there's the issue of John Cale's contributions to the album. To be frank, I haven't mentioned Cale much due to the fact that (A) I'm pretty unfamiliar with his work outside of the 'velv 'ground and (B) I wasn't present at these recording sessions and thus, I can't really tell ya if he wrote and performed all the songs or if he was busy whacking off the whole time in the vocal booth. However, I've been told that Cale brought about the moodier side of the album - some of the low-key, less immediate tracks. Creepy ones, maybe. As my brotha from anotha motha Anthony Fremont once said, "It's like eating cotton candy and getting a bite of pepperoni." And while I can't always dig the awkward synth riff, growing elements and dark mumbling of "In The Darkroom" as much at the poppy songs, it's still rewarding when I'm in the mood. "Cordoba" has more goodness, however - it's built around another keyboard riff, and the best part has to be the synthesizer solo about three minutes in. "The River" is an enjoyable if unspectacular ballad - I can't help but suspect "Spinning Away" would have made a marginally more orgasmic closer.
And that's that! Let's check out what my esteemed colleague wwww.Pitchfork.com has to say about the record:
"Looking for horses...cattle...western art...a new ranch?
Find a great selection in Livestock World
The Pitchfork Capital of the Internet!
Add Livestock World to your favorites/bookmarks HERE
Make Livestock World Your Home Page"
Right on! Mmmm, that's a good point, Pitchfork. Yes, yes, I certainly agree that "Another Green World" is arguably more essential, as its undeniably one of the top ten records of the beautiful seventies, but lately, I just can't get enough of "Wrong Way Up". Don't pass up "Wrong Way Up" or else you'll really mess stuff up. Pup in a tub:
I bid you goodnight.
Wait, huh? Addicting pop album coming from a Velvet Underground veteran and a sad, old bald man? (It's funny because it's true. Brian Eno is bald! Tell your mother. See below:)
So, anyway, this is a pop album. A big, fun, synthesizer-drenched, dated pop album. You see, back in 1976 or so, Eno ran out of twisted pop ideas and moved on to ambient experimentation. At some point in the year of our lord 1990, it occured to him that what he thought was ambient music was really just one piano note being sustained for half an hour, designed to lull the listener into a consistent vegetative state. So, naturally, what else was there to do but hook up with John Cale (not literally, ya pervert!)?
The first two songs are pretty perfect indicators of the pleasures that lie beyond in this fantastic album. "Lay My Love" is a joyful eruption of stuttering drum machines, vague lyrics, infectious harmonies and a wonderful string part. The type of song that begs the listener to turn the volume up and immense yourself in its glory. "One Word" follows a fairly similar formula: another fantastic melody, vocal layering and another fine chorus straight from the mountain tops, my homedog. I'm consistently impressed with the way the melodies seem to transcend the cheesy, dated late 80's/early 90's production into something that sounds like honey on a dead cow.
And thus, the record continues. "Empty Frame" vaguely implies some funkiness, with the "Whoo hoo hoo!"s in all the right places. "Footsteps" brings Eno's trademark synthesizers and bizarre lyrics ("I'm a man of many colors/only yesterday I was blue/ten days from now I'll be different/and so will you") to the forefront. "Been There Done That" has this fucking awesome guitar riff that pops up at aboot 1:16 and makes my nipples harden every single time.
"Spinning Away" deserves its own paragraph, being my favorite song on the album and all. And, like much of this delightful lil record, it's rather simple on the surface. Another cheesy drum machine. Just four guitar chords, ringing out The Edge-style. A wonderfully funky bass rip to compliment it. Strings. Strings. Oh, the strings! Sublime strings. "Mmmmm!" moans Brian Eno in a suggestive voice.
Up on a hill, as the day dissolves
With my pencil turning moments into line
High above in the violet sky
A silent silver plane - it draws a golden chain
One by one, all the stars appear
As the great winds of the planet spiral in
Spinning away, like the night sky at Arles
In the million insect storm, the constellations form
Again, the simple elements of the song really become more than the sum of their parts. In fact, it's the product of their parts! The quotient of their parts! The square root of their parts! And it builds up and gets better and better. Such a good song.
However, then there's the issue of John Cale's contributions to the album. To be frank, I haven't mentioned Cale much due to the fact that (A) I'm pretty unfamiliar with his work outside of the 'velv 'ground and (B) I wasn't present at these recording sessions and thus, I can't really tell ya if he wrote and performed all the songs or if he was busy whacking off the whole time in the vocal booth. However, I've been told that Cale brought about the moodier side of the album - some of the low-key, less immediate tracks. Creepy ones, maybe. As my brotha from anotha motha Anthony Fremont once said, "It's like eating cotton candy and getting a bite of pepperoni." And while I can't always dig the awkward synth riff, growing elements and dark mumbling of "In The Darkroom" as much at the poppy songs, it's still rewarding when I'm in the mood. "Cordoba" has more goodness, however - it's built around another keyboard riff, and the best part has to be the synthesizer solo about three minutes in. "The River" is an enjoyable if unspectacular ballad - I can't help but suspect "Spinning Away" would have made a marginally more orgasmic closer.
And that's that! Let's check out what my esteemed colleague wwww.Pitchfork.com has to say about the record:
"Looking for horses...cattle...western art...a new ranch?
Find a great selection in Livestock World
The Pitchfork Capital of the Internet!
Add Livestock World to your favorites/bookmarks HERE
Make Livestock World Your Home Page"
Right on! Mmmm, that's a good point, Pitchfork. Yes, yes, I certainly agree that "Another Green World" is arguably more essential, as its undeniably one of the top ten records of the beautiful seventies, but lately, I just can't get enough of "Wrong Way Up". Don't pass up "Wrong Way Up" or else you'll really mess stuff up. Pup in a tub:
I bid you goodnight.
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